For Immediate Release 2/8/13

Eureka, CA: On Thursday afternoon, February 7th, the “Fair Wage folks” submitted about 2,700 petition signatures to qualify the Eureka Fair Wage Act (aka Minimum Wage Ordinance) for the city ballot. This people’s initiative, if passed by voters, would raise the minimum wage from $8 to $12 for large employers to pay their workers in the city limits.

The Fair Wage folks thank the people of Eureka and throughout the county for their warm support and look forward to winning a fairer wage this year.

The Eureka City Clerk and the Humboldt County Elections Office have up to 30 days to report as to the sufficiency of the petitions. Once certified, the Eureka City Council can choose to pass the Fair Wage Act as written or to set an election for a vote of the people.

“I used to work at McDonald’s making minimum wage. You know what that means when someone pays you minimum wage? You know what your boss was trying to say? It’s like “Hey if I could pay you less, I would, but it’s against the law.”

2,700 signatures, wow… That’s… not that many, since Eureka’s population is 27,217, according to the US Census of 2011 (which actually IS a reliable source).
I guess that means that only 10% of the people think that it’s a good idea.

That’s actually a little disturbing, IMO… People shouldn’t be allowed into political matters until they prove they are functionally literate.
If you REALLY want to help Eureka, make an initiative that enforces businesses giving annual reviews and raises to GOOD employees, and educate lazy, half-assed workers with an inflated sense of entitlement who spend their money on smart phones, next-gen video games, cable and so forth, because those are all comforts that one can go without.
Raising minimum wage is like sticking a band-aid on a broken arm, and would not help the plight of the poor. Working more or getting a different job would, which it sounds like you don’t want to encourage. If minimum wage laws actually benefited legitimately poor, I would be for them — but they don’t.
Raising the minimum wage means that average, unskilled workers who can’t produce at least $7.25 an hour, plus the employer’s share of payroll tax, are priced out of the job market. Most unskilled workers cannot do anything worth $7.25 an hour. People should just apply themselves more within their job and live within their means.
I know my stance isn’t popular, but it’s the right one. People who don’t appreciate their jobs, and fritter away their money on stuff they don’t need don’t deserve to make more money, and those jobs should go to people who appreciate them.

If you were able to see past your narrow spectrum of your isolationism-glasses, you’d know I was referencing the NATIONAL minimum wage, which seems to work just fine for most states. The entire west cost seems to think that they’re worth more than the rest of the country, it seems, yet I doubt many could/would do the jobs people do on the east cost.
Source: Lived in NY for 20 years.